February 1, 2012

The snakes are literally fighting with alligators to sit atop the swamp’s food chain. In October, a 16-foot python was found resting after devouring a deer.

“There aren’t many native mammals that pythons can’t choke down,” said Robert N. Reed, a research wildlife biologist at the U.S. Geologial Survey’s Fort Collins Science Center....

The snakes were released by pet owners into the Everglades, where they started to breed....

The Obama administration recently banned the import and interstate commerce of Burmese python, two species of African pythons, and the yellow anaconda. But under pressure from the U.S. Association of Reptile Keepers, trade of the world’s longest snake, the reticulated python, and the boa constrictor were allowed to continue....

What's the point? Is the solution to ban pet snakes or not? If you don't have the political will to do it, why do it part way? But if the real problem is the idiots who release pets into the wild, why not punish them severely enough to get some deterrence? And yet, the problem is already out there. The swamp is full of snakes that are lunching on everything and breeding like mad.

I love the last line of the article. It's like the ending of a 1950s monster movie:

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service predicted that a new generations of Burmese pythons on the edge of their non-native range can adapt and “expand to colder climates.”

And now... they're coming for you!

IN THE COMMENTS: ~N. quoting the article — "The snakes are literally fighting with alligators to sit atop the swamp’s food chain" — said:

Who knew that the reticulated python had its own lobbying group in Washington? Why should the reticulated python get preferential treatment over the Burmese python simply because of the efforts of its lobbyists? I long for the day when all pythons are treated as equal.

"The Obama administration recently banned the import and interstate commerce of Burmese python, two species of African pythons, and the yellow anaconda." Wrong answer. Rather than a bounty, legalize commerce in snake parts (as opposed to live snakes). Let people make money shipping skins off to Europe. According to internet sources, the European Union is the biggest importer of reptile skins for the fashion industry. Between 2000 and 2005 it is estimated that skins from some 3.4 million lizards, 2.9 million crocodiles, and 3.4 million snakes were imported into the EU. One factory in Italy handled some 50,000 snake skins in 2008.

There is a great "big snake" Urban Legend I heard a few years ago. The story was that some lady had a pet boa constrictor that quit eating its regular hamsters. The woman eventually took it to the vet, and "happened to mention" that it had been crawling into be with her (ewww). The vet told her to leave the snake so he could destroy it, because it was "sizing her up," in order to eat her.

When my wife first told me the story, she thought that it originated from a credible source, so I believed it for awhile, which was distressing because our babysitter was buying a boa. Quick search on the google proved it wrong.

There is a great "big snake" Urban Legend I heard a few years ago. The story was that some lady had a pet boa constrictor that quit eating its regular hamsters. The woman eventually took it to the vet, and "happened to mention" that it had been crawling into be with her (ewww).

You can't read this story without concluding that this country has lost its collective mind. You can't fucking sell potato chips or soda in some school vending machines but you can own vicious pit bulls or a 20 foot python from Africa.

You can probably legally kill the snakes outside the Park but not in it. Once legally killed the snake's skin can probably not be legally sold. I love our Govt. it thinks of everything. If the good idea of a bounty were instituted it would have to be supplemented by a license of some sort which would necessitate the creation of a license bureau which would require locations and personnel trained in issuing licenses to snake killers, or would-be snake killers. I think ten license people for every applicant would be about right. The application would require some reviewing, preferably by a herpetologist with some background in psychology to insure that the taking of the snakes would be done without malice and without pain and that the applicant could identify all snakes. All snakes?you ask. Yes, because there are many many helpful snakes in the Everglades and they cannot be harmed if mistaken for the subject animals. Oh, the application would be in two parts. The written application followed by the test.

Then we are off and running and hopefully you don't forget to put the stickers on your boat and to remember that you cannot use airboats for the purpose of hunting and killing pythons since airboats are specifically excluded as hunting boats.

Michael said:"I think ten license people for every applicant would be about right. The application would require some reviewing, preferably by a herpetologist with some background in psychology to insure that the taking of the snakes would be done without malice and without pain and that the applicant could identify all snakes. All snakes?you ask. Yes, because there are many many helpful snakes in the Everglades and they cannot be harmed if mistaken for the subject animals. Oh, the application would be in two parts. The written application followed by the test."

Once legally killed the snake's skin can probably not be legally sold.

Why do you assume that. A little basic research shows that these animals are on Appendix II of CITES, which means export and and import of live animals and products requires a permit, but is not banned. Animal parts are generally treated the same as live animals under CITES, so if you can import live animals, the trade in parts is not banned.

I don't see why this is a big deal. We turn a blind eye to millions of illegal immigrants who come so what harm are a few snakes? A python from Burma or Africa should be able to enjoy feasting on a deer as much as some redblooded American alligator. Both are reptiles and we should be celebrating the rich, vibrant diversity that our reptilian African and Burmese brothers bring to this land of immigrants.

"What's the point? Is the solution to ban pet snakes or not? If you don't have the political will to do it, why do it part way? But if the real problem is the idiots who release pets into the wild, why not punish them severely enough to get some deterrence?"

Many have noted the suggestion by Jonah Goldberg to address the problem directly -- if it's too many snakes, allow hunters or others (he suggested bootmakers and other leather-goods types) to kill the snakes for their skins.

Much more interesting is Ann's suggestion that the solution turns on the concept of punishment -- state action to assign blame, and use that to stop miscreants from adding to the problem. As solutions go, that's wonderfully legalistic and bureaucratic, but more likely only to create useless bureaucrats than it is to reduce snake populations. If adopted it would quite likely have the same result as other gov'tal attempts to use criminal justice/regulatory agencies to suppress victimless behaviour.

Far better to look at this as a simple problem in economics -- too much supply of one good (snakes), which is solved by reducing the transaction cost of obtaining a valuable input in someone's business to near (or if Goldberg's bounty idea were adopted, even below) zero. The same solution has been proposed to deal with the explosion of the population of Canadian geese throughout the East Coast where they have become pests -- just let the Cantonese chefs have a hunting season and the problem population will be reduced to whatever level is deemed desirable in no time at all.

Strange to see Ann suggesting (I am assuming her pointed questions were intended as more than queries) a nanny-state solution in the first instance. Just more evidence that, at heart, she is more Dem than Rep.

We used to joke that the reason you didn't see many snakes down here was because the alligators ate them all. That's changing now.

Another big problem are the damn iguanas. Things can grow up to 5 feet. A little girl was feeding some a couple years ago, dropped a strawberry by her foot, and a big one bit her big toe almost off. They'll rest high in trees and take a duke on you too, which is pleasant as hell.

I looked into trapping and selling the damn things for pets, but that's against the law.

The way to get rid of the problem is to use money as an incentive...i.e. bounty.

FrederF: Thank you for the link and for making my point. The regulations and rules and permitting processes are already in place. Eureka. Don't forget your digital camera and your GPS Mr. Python hunter and don't forget to renew your licenses every year. If you transport the python and have captured the python on private property you will need a license. But you don't if you kill the snake on the private property. This will take some getting into but I see that the matter is under control. So why is there a problem?

Bill: There is quite a bit of meat on a python but you had best know the difference between the Burmese and other types because according to the helpful link provided by FrederF the Burmese has lots of mercury and "may be banned" for consumption whatever that may mean.

Rusty: Have you ever encountered a Fish and Game guy in the wild? In a National Park? Next time you do show him all the pretty rocks you have collected and see what he says. Ditto snakes, wildflowers, elk, and so on.

"... A little girl was feeding some a couple years ago, dropped a strawberry by her foot, and a big one bit her big toe almost off..."

Serves her right. Rather than giving stawberry handouts, she should be demanding those lazy iguanas pull themselves up by their claw straps and work for their food like the hardworking alligators and pythons. They're obviously doing the foraging that the iguanas won't do.

I read that a SF City park famous for allowing walking dogs off leash had been taken over by the State who promptly clamped down on evil dog walkers.

When the Park Police came upon a man with two small and unleashed lap dogs, they decided to issue a ticket to get the word out about the new rules...and to collect some money before the coming March bankruptcy.

That raised the issue of his having no ID on him to prove his name and address. That was the sine qua non needed for the collection of the fine money. So the Park Police called in to her superior for instructions.

The dog walker asked if he could go on...no answer came from the officer of the government that can be petitioned, but can ignore you maggots.

So he walked off a few feet, and she ran up and tazed him in the back, cuffed him and issued more charges to crush the maggot daring to act like a free man in public.

Freder sort of bum doped everyone. If you read into his link, it covers hunting in Everglades areas OUTSIDE official Federal Everglades National Park. Within the Park proper, until 2011, only park staff and contractors could remove non-invasive species. No firearms or nuisance species hunting was allowed people who were not Hero Fed government employees.

http://www.nps.gov/ever/naturescience/burmesepython.htm

In 2010, with the place already boiling up with snakes, the Feds in their wisdom, started a pilot program for non-government sorts to go in and take snakes from the National Park for study and research at accredited schools. Including research into the methodology of python removal.

This pilot program of authorized agents was capped at 30 people...for the whole Everglades. And until 2011 were barred from bringing firearms into the Park. So they had to have special "snakehandling" certification to get their authorized agent Permit. As well as have non-firearms means to skillfully and humanely kill said captured snakes.

Pleased with the program, the Feds decided to allow it to continue with another year granted, again capped at 30 people.

But yes, Freder is right that Florida allows hunting of pythons and other undesirable critters on IT's State lands.

Where is the snake infestation? Not out so much on State lands where Billy Joe Bob and Rastus the black part-Seminole swamper are praising Jesus for each 250 dollar skin they get from a shotgunned 10-foot python - the problem is inside the Everglades National Park.

Study:Fifth, in addition to frequenting habitats used by foraging pythons, mammals such as raccoons, opossums, deer, and bobcats may be naive to predation by large snakes. Boid snakes went extinct in the eastern United States during the Miocene, concomitant with other climatic, vegetation, and faunal, [e.g., the rise of colubroid snakes (23)] changes.

I'd also note that wild hogs are a big problem in Florida, inc the Everglades.

And less and less people hunt these days, because the costs, restrictions, and liability are high. We also passed some strict laws to ban Evil commercial hunting after 19th century meat and fowl procurers almost wiped out several species. Then USDA regs on "testing" meat for sale came in. So while you can kill wild hogs, a dozen if you are lucky, you can't sell the dressed carcass to a gourmet restaurant willing to pay 3-4 bucks a pound.But you CAN donate it under the stupid "Hunters for the Homeless" program to feed winos, junkies, OWS types, and lifestyle welfare mommas.

Cedarford: You are right to point out what you did on the Fla regulations. But that does not detract from the Florida regulations themselves which are great fun to read because, like all govt, they have thought of everything. I am particularly pleased that I guessed they would have recommendations for euthanasia that were humane. You cannot pull satire on govt regulations!!

If the mammals are about to be gone, that should take care of the snake problem.

Really though, why not hunt them? If people didn't hunt deer around here, we'd be overrun with deer. Come up with a hunting season and open up the Everglades National Park for snake hunting during that time.

Michael said...Rusty: Have you ever encountered a Fish and Game guy in the wild? In a National Park? Next time you do show him all the pretty rocks you have collected and see what he says. Ditto snakes, wildflowers, elk, and so on.

I'm messin with ya.Yes. I hunt mushrooms with a bunch of em.The bounty idea is a good one. A year long open season is good too. No license, a resident can take them anywhere, anytime, as many as they can.

a bounty now would probably break several dozen Federal environmental laws.Well, all around the world , hunters are hired to control species out of control. Both natives and invasors.And hire human hunters. In Jamaica, they used moongoses to control rats and:

http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v63/n1632/abs/063348a0.htmlLaws can be amended.

I was in the Everglades a few winters ago when they had record-setting low temperatures and all the gators came to ground. You couldn't go more than a few feet without stepping on one, but I didn't see any snakes. And I would remember a 16-foot python.

So, megapython vs gateroid. Who won?

Is there still a wanted poster on the road to Hana for the pet snake that got loose? Hawaii takes this rogue snake stuff seriously.